Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 22 March 2012
10Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs her plans to improve interdepartmental approaches in relation to child and adolescent mental health services; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15116/12]
View answerChild and adolescent mental health services are the direct responsibility of my colleague, the Minister for Health, in conjunction with the Minister of State with responsibility for disability, equality, mental health and older people. I work very closely with both Ministers, as I do with all Government colleagues, in regard to children's matters. Nevertheless, specific responsibility in regard to child and adolescent mental health services resides with the Department of Health and the Health Service Executive. I am aware that €35 million extra funding has been made available for mental health and that child and adolescent mental health services are a priority area for investment.
Key to the development of child and adolescent mental health services is the establishment of multidisciplinary community-based teams, of which 61 are in place. Special funding allocated to the HSE in 2012 will in part be used to strengthen these community child and adolescent mental health teams by ensuring, at a minimum, that at least one of each mental health professional discipline is represented on every team.
In the context of the establishment of the new agency, consideration has been given to the interface with specialist health services to improve the experience of children and families. In this regard, the task force on the child and family support agency recently met the HSE's assistant national director for mental health and the national clinical director for child and adolescent mental health services. I understand they had a broad-ranging discussion on the development and the interface between the child and family support agency and these services. The national children and young people policy framework being developed by my Department in association with other Departments will complement this effort. As part of this process, we will outline the interaction that must take place to ensure children have access to services. The framework will be published this year and cover a five year period. It will address the issue of priorities across children's services and the need for linkage to ensure services are delivered in a joined-up fashion, much as we discussed earlier in regard to speech and language services.
The focus of my question was the need to enhance interdepartmental approaches. While I recognise that the bulk of this issue falls under the aegis of the Department of Health, we have made the point across the Chamber - it has been accepted by the Minister - that there is an onus on her to take the lead in ensuring best practice is followed. It should not simply be left to the Department of Health. It is very important that the Department of Children and Youth Affairs is a lead player in all of this.
Although it does not come directly within the Minister's remit, I draw her attention to the several capital works proposed in increasing the number of inpatient beds across the State for child and adolescent psychiatric care. I understand the current complement is made up by 12 beds in Dublin, 12 in Cork and 12 in Galway. It has been signalled that a further 16 beds will be commissioned in the course of this year, including a number in Cork and Galway. There is also work signalled at two sites in the greater Dublin area, at St. Vincent's Hospital, Fairview, and St. Loman's Hospital, Palmerstown. Does the Minister have an update on these developments? If work on either of them has commenced, what stage has it reached?
In regard to child and adolescent mental care services, I have pointed out on several occasions that north of a line running from Dublin to Galway, there is no inpatient care support available. Does the Minister agree that this is one of several areas in which there is potential for co-operation, including cross-Border co-operation, in the provision of services? There are several appropriate locations where such co-operation could be facilitated, not least in my constituency which has been very much to the fore in developing mental health services. Great credit must be given to those at the coalface in the provision of this care. We are strategically located in terms of co-operation and working together on a cross-Border basis. I appeal to the Minister to consider this in the context of meeting future needs.
On the development of inpatient facilities, psychiatric bed capacity for children and adolescents has increased from 12 in 2007 to 44 at present, comprising 12 beds in Dublin, 12 in Cork and 20 in Galway, with a further eight beds planned to be commissioned in Cork during 2012. Additional beds will also be provided in the Dublin region. Work has already begun on the second phase of the child and adolescent unit at St. Vincent's Hospital, Fairview, which will increase capacity from six to 12 beds. In addition, the Health Service Executive's service plan for 2012 commits to the development of an eight bed inpatient facility for adolescents at St. Loman's Hospital, Palmerstown. A new child and adolescent day hospital will also open in Dublin shortly. It is envisaged that the provision of improved community-based services, coupled with the increase in bed capacity, will bring an end to the practice of placing children and adolescents in adult psychiatric facilities which is completely unacceptable in this day and age.
As I said, north of a line running from Dublin to Galway there are many services that tick the relevant boxes but nothing is available in terms of providing inpatient care. I ask the Minister to address this issue.
In regard to child and adolescent psychiatric services in the north Dublin region, the Minister will be aware that there are only six beds at St. Vincent's Hospital and very little support is available for 16 and 17 year olds. I have contacted her about several families in difficulty and she has responded positively. While I welcome her reference to six additional beds, nonetheless there remains a significant lacuna in this area. On the multifaceted care teams she has indicated are being established, there was a recommendation from the Mental Health Commission that 15 to 25 year olds be catered for within that provision. Will that type of service be provided, with psychiatrists who look after adults and those who specialise in the treatment of children working together?
Does the Minister propose to take any action to deal with the issue of eating disorders? A recent Scottish study shows that up to one quarter of children in the mid-teenage years, both boys and girls, suffer from eating disorders. Is tackling this issue a priority for the Minister?
My colleague, the Minister of State at the Department of Health, Deputy Kathleen Lynch, is addressing many of the issues raised by the Deputies. I am also liaising with her in the context of my concern and interest in these issues. According to the HSE, one in ten Irish children and adolescents suffers from a mental health issue. As such, it is extremely important that resources are available to meet their needs. There is a variety of ways by which this can be done. It is not simply about the mental health care teams, it is also about other services working with the young people concerned.
In regard to the services available in Deputy Broughan's area and Deputy Ó Caoláin's observation about the potential for cross-Border co-operation, decisions have been made on the provision of beds, as I have indicated. We are working from a very low base in these services.
I can only agree with Deputy Broughan on the issue of eating disorders. It is a source of serious concern that some 25% of three year olds have obesity issues. Service provision is a slightly different issue, although it is related to the broader issue in some ways. A number of new beds have been made available. I do not have the precise figures, but I will be happy to correspond with the Deputy in that regard.
Written Answers follow Adjournment.
The Dáil adjourned at 5.50 p.m. until 2 p.m. on Tuesday, 27 March 2012.
